Control device for the knitting members of flat knitting machines particularly pearl machines



Nov. 19, 1935. H. DIEM CONTROL DEVICE R THE KNITTING MEMBERS OF MAC ES PARTIC ACH Sheets-Sheen'I l ULARLY PEARL M Filed DGO. 22, 1955 A ToR/vEy NOV. 19, 1935. H D|EM 2,021,624

CONTROL DEVICE FOR THE KNITTING MEMBERS 0F FLAT KNITTING MACHINES PARTICULARLY PEARL MACHINES Filed Dec. 22, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /L/ANS DIEM Patented Nov. 19, 1935 UNIT ED STATES PAT ENT' QFFlf-C CHINES Hans Diem, Neuchateh Switzerland, assigner to rm Edouard Dnbied & Cie. Socit Anonyme,

Neuchatel, Switzerland Application December 22,

1933, Serial' N0. 703,524

In Germany December 24, 1932 6 Claims.

This invention relates to control devices for the knitting members of at knitting machines, particularly pearl machines;

In the known control devices for the knitting members, such as the working needles, jacks or intervening members, of the machines of the type referred to, it is necessary for retaining these members in their respective positions oi adjustment, to insert complicated arresting mechanisms between the needle beds and the needle cam boxes, so that in most cases special provisions are required to be made for the cam box siides.

These Constructionsr operate in such manner that during the traversing movement of the cam box Within the range of sinking the loopsk either all the needles or associated knitting members respectively present in one of the needle beds are released, that is, :are adapted to be displaced in the grooves of the needle bed unhindered, or else that displacing of all the needles or associated knitting members in the grooves of one and the same needle bed during or' after the operative traversing movement is prevented.

Therefore, as with these constructions at all times all the needles or associated knitting members included in the same'needle bed are prevented from jumping beyond their respective positions of adjustment by common arresting means, it is impossible to control the knitting members individually at will, the number of possible varieties of patterns obtainable with the machine thus being unduly lessened.

The .object of the present invention is to increase the patterning possibilities with the aid of the machine. This is accomplished, according to the invention, in a iiat knitting machine, particularly a pearl machine, comprising detachable knitting members, by providing on the cam box slide a positively actuated control cam for cooperation with an elongated arresting member mounted in the needle bed for adjustment perpendicularly thereto and extending in the transverse direction thereof inV the range of sliding movement of said detachable knitting members and adapted to grip behind driving abutments, such as projecting shoulders, snugs, heels or the like on the knitting members, of those knitting members that are to rem-ain inactive.

By these means separation during the knitting operation oi any needle jack from its correlated pusher due to disengagement of mating portions of a disconnectable joint between these parts is avoided and thus also any undue jumping out of position of those needles that With a (Cl. (i6-63) 'view to obtaining a certain pattern effect are to remain in inoperative position during one or more traverses of the needle cam box slide.

Other features of the invention will be eX- plained in the followingk description.

In the :accompanyingdrawings a constructional form of the inventionis illustrated, by Way of example, as applied to a pearl or' linkslinks machine, the latter being shown only to the extent necessary fora proper understanding of the invention.r

Fig. 1 shows a plan view ofthe needle cam bo of the front needle bed with-the face plate of the box and the actuating members thereof omitted,

Fig. 2 is a View similar toA Fig. 1', butv with certain needle guide-cams retracted Fig. 3 is a section on the lineIII-III in Fig'- 1 showing a pusher havingbeen selectedby means of a jacquard'fsinker, the corresponding needle jack and needle being in initial position,

Fig. 4 is a section on the line; IV--IV in Fig. 2 showing a needle jack to be coupled to the associated pusher, with the needle in inoperative position, j

Fig. 5 is a section on the line V-V 1n- Fig. 2 showing a needle jack with theneedle in its 0,6111 tra] posi-tion hooked thereto and the jack coupled to the associated pusher, they latter being ln horizontal position,

Fig. 6 is :a section on the line VI-VI in Fig', 1 showing a jacquard sinker, the associated pusher, anv arresting stripv for the needle jacks; and a control cam for said strip. in inoperative position, the needle, that is, the pusher being adapted. to be displaced by the parts of the needle cam box,

Fig. 7 shows a larger scale fragmentary section on the line IV-IV in Fig. 2 with the control cam., and the arresting strip lowered in to working position,

Fig. 8 is a View similar to Fig. '7, but withy the control cam and the arresting strip retracted into inoperative position` Fig. 9 shows a needle jack on a larger scale,

having a rear extension provided with a por-tion through the recess for the arresting strip for the needle jacks,

Fig. 12 represents a sectional end view of the knitting machine, taken near the end thereof, showing the control device, and

Fig. 13 shows a fragmentary side View of the knitting machine on the height of the needle beds, with the front needle cam box during its traverse towards the right hand control means therefor.

Referring to the drawings, I designates the front needle bed and 2 refers to the rear needle bed; 3 represents the needles, 4 the needle jacks, 4 driving abutments in the form of snugs, 4" a portion of a disconnectable joint at the rear end extension of each needle jack, 5 the pliable pushers, 5' heels on the front part of these pushers, 5" and 5 the mating portion of said disconnectable joint on the front part of the pushers and a cam portion on the rear part of the pushers respectively, I a push rail for the pushers, 8 a sinker bed associated with the jacquard drum, 9 the jacquard sinkers, I0 a stop bar for the sinkers, and I I a jacquard pattern card.

In Fig. 1, the numerals I2 to 25 designate different cam portions of the needle cam box of the cam slide 39 traversing the front needle bed I (Fig. 12). The cam slide 38, being connected to the slide 59 by a stirrup, traverses the rear needle bed 2 of the knitting machine in unison with the slide 39 and carries a rear bed needle cam box, of a known type for pearl and links links machines. Also the general driving arrangement of the knitting machine inclusive of the drive for the commonly moving cam slides, as well as the control means for the slides and for the needles of the rear needle bed are similar to the means com'- monly used for these purposes in the construction of the machines referred to above.

By 25 a control cam is designated which is secured on an angle iron bar 21 which in turn is operatively connected with a slidable bolt 28 of the cam slide 39 by a pin and cam slot connection 35, 35 (Fig. 13). By these means' the angle iron bar 21 is adapted to be adjusted perpendicularly to the face plate 29 of the cam slide 39, when the bolt 28 shifts relatively to the face plate 29, by which it is guided, at the end of a traverse of the slide 39, by hitting one of the stop levers 54 of a pair of such levers that are interconnected by shaft 54 (Fig. 13).

To this end, the levers 54 are automatically adjustable into or out of the path of the bolt 28 by a control mechanism arranged at one end of the knitting machine and actuated from the general driving arrangement of the machine in timedrelation to the traversing movements of the cam slides. Thus, on rotation of the shaft 43, which is positively driven by the main driving arrangement, a bell crank lever 4I is rocked, by means of an intervening cam disc 42 secured to the shaft 43, so as to horizontally oscillate an auxiliary jacquard drum 45 through the intermediary of a connecting link 4I', The drum 45 cooperates with jack sinkers 46 which in turn operate to adjust pairs of depending push rods 5I for actuating all the parts of the knitting machine for transmitting automatical movements to any knitting members into or out of vertical position. This is accomplished by correlating to the push rods El a lifting member 56 which is arranged to swing up and down in alignment with these rods in their vertically depending position. For this purpose the member 50 is connected on the one hand, by means of a link 49, to a fixed pivot on the machine frame and on the other hand, by a link 48, to a bell crank lever l cooperating with a cam disc 44.

The upper ends of the two push rods 5I shown in Fig. l2 are linked to bell crank levers 52 and 54 respectively, lthe latter acting in the manner 5 previously described to block or clear the patl'r of movement of the bolt 23, whereas the former actuates through a link 53 further stop levers (not shown) for the automatic control of other knitting member actuating parts.

Now, when with the aid of adjusting means (not shown) the drum 45 is moved through a certain angular range, so as to set a desired jacquard card of a flexible band, into which in a known manner a plurality of punched cards of this kind 15 are united, into working position opposite the jack sinkers 46, the latter, if selected by the auxiliary jacquard shift the correlated push rods 5I out of vertical position, thus rendering these rods inoperative. n this inoperative position, as 20 shown in chain dotted lines in Fig. 12, the push rods are not engaged by the upwardly moving; lifting member 59. Thus, as indicated by the dotted lines in this figure, the bell crank lever 54 remains in the path of movement of the bolt' 28 251 so that when the cam slide 35 moves in the direc-J tion of the arrow in Fig. 13 to the right and the control cam 2S together with it in the direction of the corresponding arrow in Fig. il, the bolt 28 will meet with the respective stopy iev-er 5i? at the 3o end of this traverse of the slide 39, whereby the bolt 28 is shifted relatively to the face plate 25 of' this slide in the direction of the dotted arrow in': Fig. 11. Accordingly the control cam t5 is adjusted perpendicularly to the needle bed I in the direction of the corresponding dotted arrow in this figure, thus being retracted from the needle bed.

1n the Figs. 4 and 5, the control cam 25 as well as the springy strip Sil are shown to be depressed, 40 in which positions of these parts disengagement of the interengaging complementary joint por tions 4, 5" and thus disjoining of the needle jacks 4 from the pushers 5 is positively prevented. 45

In Fig. 6, however, the control cam 26 is shown to be raised which permits the springy strip 3@ to recede from the bottom of the transverse recess, in which it is inserted by action of the needle jacks 4 disjoining from the pushers 5 in the in- 50 operative positions of the latter.

The operation of the control device is as follows:

At the end of each traverse of the cam slide the positions of the sinkers 9 are altered, in a 55 known manner, by selection by means of the jacquard pattern card I I and thereafter the sinkers are secured in the respective positions of adjustment by the stop bar Iii. As the rear parts of the pushers 5 are connected to the front part thereof 60 by means of pliable joints, the rear parts of those pushers are raised the correlated sinkers which have been selected and thus raised by action of the jacquard drum (Fig. 3) 1n consequence thereof, the cam portions 5 of these pushers 65 are moved clear of the path of movement of the push rail l. Accordingly, only those pushers are advanced into working position which were not selected by the correlated sinkers 9 and thus maintain their horizontal positions. 70

For producing certain pattern effects requiring only individual needles 3 and needle jacks respectively of the respective needle bed to be advanced into working position, the cam portions I?, I8 and i9 of the needle cam box 35 are re- 75 tracted into inoperative position, theA box thus being in condition of oper-ation as shown inA Fig. 2, and the control cam 26` is depressed by means of the bolt 28 and thereby the strip 3B' is forced into the transverse recess in the needle bed; (Fig. 4')

When, on the otherhand, all the needlesof the needle bed are to-be vused (Fig. 26:), the pushers remain in inoperative position and the control cam 255 is maintained in raised position by the bolt `2.33, thus permitting the springy stripu 30 to recede from the transverse recess receiving it by action of the needle jacks 4,.so `that disengagement of the jacksv from the pushers 5 is 'feasible'. During this working incidence the cam portions Il, I8, I9 vof .the needle cam. box are lowered into operative position, the box thus being in the condition of operation as shown .in Fig. 1.

If, in these relative positions of the parts, the cam slide 39 is moved across the needle bed I in the direction of the arrow shown in full in Fig. 1, those pushers 5 are advanced through the-grooves of the needle bed together with the corresponding needle jacks ,4 and needles 3. by the cams I3 and Ill which are left by the respective sinkers 'I to remain in horizontal or operative position (the pushers shown to be behind andgripped by the push rail 'l in the advanced full line position of the same in Fig. 3). During this working incidence, jumping beyond operative position vby the needles 3 and the needle jacks 4 is prevented, as the movement of these knitting 4members through the grooves oi the needleV bed is checked on the one hand by the snugs 4f on the needle jacks and the cams 22, 23, 2.1i of' the needle cam box, and on the other hand by the heels 5 of the pushers and the cams I3 and I4.

During the same traversing movement of the cam slide, certain individual pushers 5', needle jacks li and needles 3 respectively remain in inoperative position, with a view to obtaining certain desired patterning effects. This holds true for those pushers 5 and correlated needle jacks 4 and needles 3, the rear parts of which are raised to assume an inclined position by the respective sinkers 9, so that the projecting cams 5" on these rear parts clear the-push rail 'I during the advance movement of this rail (Fig. 4). Now, as in the hooks of those needles, which remain during one or more traverses of the needle cam box in their inoperative positions, yarn loops are inserted, and as furthermore those needles are usually selected for this purpose which are positioned between two operative needles, jumping out of inoperative position by these inoperative needles during the knitting operation and thus erroneous loop formations in the knitted fabric are unavoidable, unless disengagement of the correlated needle jacks and pushers by action of the moving control cam 26 and the springy strip 3U is avoided.

The cam portions I6, 25 and 2IJ, 2| respectively act to align all the snugs 4 of the needle jacks to form a straight row after each traverse of the cam slide. The cam portions I2 and I5, which are oppositely displaced after each traverse of the cam slide from their positions shown in full and in chain dotted lines in Fig. 1 respectively, act to reset the pushers 5 and heels 5 from their respective operative positions into initial position. To this end, these cams assume their full line positions, when the cam slide 39 moves-` the needle cam box in the direction indicated in the Figs. l and 2, by the arrows shown in full, and the chain dotted positions, when the box moves: in the direction of the chain dotted arrows.

Et. will be seen that the springy strip 36 is so positionedv on the needle bed that it is adapted toA actas a forward limiting stop for the heels 5 on the rear parts of the needle pushers 5 and -5 thus also for the detachable knitting members. On the other hand, this strip provides an upper movement limiting stop for the rear ends of the needle'jacks 4 after their release from the front ends ofthe pushers 5, so as to prevent these ends 10 of the jacks to jump their guideways in the needle bed.

IV do not limit myself to the particular size,

shape, number or arrangementof parts as shown and described, all of which may be varied with- 15 out going beyond the scope of my invention as shown, described and claimed.

What I claim is: V1. In a control device for the knitting members of flat knitting machines, particularly pearl '.Y

machines in combination, a needle bed, detachable, longitudinally separable knitting members slidabl-y arranged in guideways of said needle be-d, an elongated arresting member mounted in said needle bed for adjustment perpendicularly theretoy and extending in the transverse direction thereof within the range of sliding movement of said detachable knitting members, a cam slide adapted to traverse said needle bed, for shifting said knitting members in said guideways, and a control cam provided on said slide for cooperation with said arresting member and adapted to positively depress said member into engagement with said detachable knitting members, for preventing longitudinal separation of the knitting members Vas selected for remaining inactive at the knitting wave during the traversing movement of said slide.

2. Ina control device for the knitting members of `ilat vknitting machines, particularly pearl machines in combination, a needle bed, detachable, longitudinally separable knitting members slidably arranged in guideways of said needle bed, a strip adapted to ex in the direction perpendicular to said needle bed due to inherent sp-ring vaction and being loosely inserted in a recess of said bed, said recess being transversely disposed to said guideways within the range of sliding movement of said detachable knitting members,

a cam slide adapted to traverse said needle bed for shifting said knitting members in said guideways, and a control cam provided on said slide for cooperation with said springy strip and adapted to positively depress said strip into engagement with said detachable knitting members, for preventing those knitting members that are slscted for remaining inactive at the knitting wave during the traversing movement of said slide from separating in longitudinal direction.

3. In a control device for the knitting members of flat knitting machines, particularly pearl ma.- chines in combination, a needle bed, detachable, longitudinally separable knitting members slidably arranged in guideways of said needle bed,

a coupling portion on each part of said detachable knitting members, said portions being adapted for superimposition perpendicularly to said needle bed, projections provided on the opposlte faces of said coupling portions and adapted to interengage with their inner sides, a strip adapted to flex in the direction perpendicular to said needle bed due to inherent spring action and being loosely inserted in a recess of said bed, said recess being transversely disposed to said guideways Within the range of sliding movement of said detachable knitting members, a cam slide adapted to traverse said needle bed for shifting said knitting members in said guideways, and a control cam provided on said slide 4for cooperation with said springy strip and adapted to positively depress said strip into engagement with said coupling portions, for preventing those knitting members that are selected to remain inactive at the knitting Wave during the traversing movement of said slide from separating in longitudinal direction.

4. In a control device for the knitting members of flat knitting machines, particularly pearl machines in combination, a needle bed, detachable, longitudinally separable knitting members slidably arranged in guidevvays of said needle bed, an elongated arresting member mounted in said needle bed for adjustment perpendicularly thereto and extending in the transverse direction thereof Within the range of sliding movement of said detachable knitting members, a cam slide adapted to traverse said needle bed for shifting said knitting members in said guideways, a control cam provided on said slide for cooperation With said arresting member; a bolt slidably arranged on said cam slide in the transverse direction to said needle bed, and adapted to cooperate With automatic control means at the ends of the traverses of said cam slide, and a positive cam connection intercalated between said slidable bolt and said control cam and adapted to depress said arresting member into engagement with said detachable knitting members, for preventing those knitting members that are selected for remaining inactive at the knitting Wave during the traversing movement of said slide from separating in longitudinal direction.

5. In a control device for the knitting members of at knitting machines, particularly pearl machines, in combination, a needle bed, detachable, longitudinally separable knitting members slidably arranged in guideways of said needle bed, a coupling portion on each part of said detachable knitting members, said portions being adapted for superimposition perpendicularly to said needle bed, projections provided on the opposite faces of said coupling portions and adapt- 5 ed to interengage with their inner sides, a strip adapted to flex in the direction perpendicular to said needle bed due to inherent spring action and being loosely inserted in a. recess of said bed, said recess being transversely disposed to said 10 guideways Within the range of sliding movement of said detachable knitting members to adapt said strip to provide a forward limiting stop for said detachable knitting members, a cam slide adapted to traverse said needle bed for shifting 15 said knitting members in said guideWays, and a control cam provided on said slide for cooperation with said springy strip and adapted to positively depress said strip into engagement with said coupling portions, and to release said strip 20 to provide disengagement of said projections in superimposed position thereof respectively and at the Same time to provi-de an upper movement limiting stop for the released ends of s-aid knitting members.

6. In a control device for knitting members of fiat knitting machines, particularly pearl machines in combination, a needle bed, detachable longitudinally separable knitting members slidable on said needle bed, movable arresting means 30 in said needle bed extending in transverse direction thereof Within the range of the sliding movement of said knitting members, cam slide means for shifting said knitting members on said needle bed and control means on said slide for cooperation with and adapted to positively move said arresting means into engagement With said knitting members for preventing longitudinal separation of those knitting members that are selected for remaining inactive at the knitting Wave during the transverse movement of said slide.

HANS DIEM. 

